Young Master

Outside Hundred Herb Hall.

Jiang Che stared blankly at the sign bearing the three words "Hundred Herb Hall."

This was actually the apothecary where he had previously asked about poison!

"Th-this..."

Jiang Che immediately felt rather awkward, and his steps slowed.

Zhang Xiong was completely unaware of Jiang Che's unusual behavior and strode inside.

Helpless, Jiang Che could only follow.

"Uncle Zhou!"

Zhang Xiong greeted the old man with the goatee.

The old man was weighing out medicine. Seeing Zhang Xiong arrive, a smile immediately appeared on his face.

"Young Master, you're here!"

Then he saw Jiang Che walk in as well.

Since Jiang Che had not followed immediately and the two were not walking side by side, he assumed Jiang Che had come to buy poison again. His brows furrowed.

"That customer, I truly don't have the kind of medicine you mentioned. Please go back."

Hearing this, Zhang Xiong turned around curiously. "Medicine? Junior Brother Jiang, did you come here to buy medicine?"

Jiang Che smiled awkwardly. "I just wanted to buy some... uh, medicine that can temporarily numb someone..."

"Poison, right?" Zhang Xiong understood at once and lowered his voice.

"Young Master, this gentleman is?"

Seeing that the old shopkeeper named Uncle Zhou knew him, he hesitated.

"Oh! He's a junior brother from my Martial Arts Hall, Jiang Che. One of us! I brought him here to buy some exotic beast meat."

Zhang Xiong deliberately emphasized the words "one of us."

"So it's Young Master Jiang." Uncle Zhou's expression softened somewhat. "Then what kind of exotic beast meat would you like to buy?"

"It's Junior Brother Jiang's first time buying exotic beast meat. Bring them all out for him to see," Zhang Xiong instructed.

"Yes, Young Master!" Uncle Zhou turned and went to the storeroom in the rear courtyard.

Once Uncle Zhou had left, Zhang Xiong lowered his voice.

"Junior Brother Jiang, apothecaries do keep some poison on hand. But they generally don't sell it to outsiders. It's usually for their own use, or reserved for regular customers. You're a stranger coming in to buy it, so of course they won't sell it to you."

"I understand. I was presumptuous." Jiang Che smiled sheepishly.

"It's not really your fault. If it's for self-defense, it's excellent stuff. It's just that the authorities regulate it strictly, so apothecaries don't dare sell it." Zhang Xiong shook his head.

Before long, Uncle Zhou came over carrying a large wooden box.

It was divided into small compartments, filled with dark, long strips of dried meat in various colors. It was impossible to tell what animals they came from.

"Young Master Jiang, this is all the exotic beast meat we have here. Allow me to introduce them."

Then Uncle Zhou began introducing them one by one.

They were all low-grade exotic beast jerky.

There was jerky from rodent-type exotic beasts, canine-type exotic beasts, snake-type exotic beasts, pig-type exotic beasts, and more.

Jiang Che's eyes were opened wide. He had not realized there were so many varieties of exotic beasts.

He listened carefully, occasionally picking up a strip to smell and inspect.

But Jiang Che discovered that every piece of jerky smelled rank and fishy. Not a single one smelled pleasant.

It probably would not taste very good, either.

"What's the difference between these various kinds of exotic beast meat?" Jiang Che did not understand, so he could only ask.

"Mainly, it's a matter of taste... though of course, each has its own particular way of tasting awful."

Zhang Xiong said with a smile,

"Also, people who practice different martial arts have somewhat different types of Qi-Blood, so the effects of eating different exotic beast meats vary from person to person."

He picked up a strip of jerky that was black with a reddish tint. "I've tried all of these. I feel this Pig-Sheep Beast jerky works best. It stimulates the Qi-Blood of our Layered Cloud Fist the most."

Jiang Che nodded. Then he would buy this one later.

"But," Zhang Xiong changed the subject, "different people have different constitutions. I've also seen disciples from the same sect who were suited to different exotic beast meats. I suggest you buy a little of each and test them yourself at home."

"Thank you for the reminder, Senior Brother Zhang!" Jiang Che said gratefully.

If he had come here alone, he would never have known any of this.

So Jiang Che picked out some of each kind, though he took relatively more Pig-Sheep Beast jerky.

After all, he had eaten it yesterday, and its effects had been quite good.

He just did not know whether the other kinds of exotic beast meat might work even better.

Uncle Zhou wrapped them in oiled paper, tied the packages tightly with thin hemp string, and handed them over.

"Young Master Jiang, this jerky is cooked, so you can eat it directly. That's more convenient. You can also chop it up for soup, or steam it before stir-frying it with vegetables. Adding seasonings makes it easier to swallow," Uncle Zhou advised.

"Thank you! How much is it?" Jiang Che accepted it and pulled out silver from his robes.

"It's ten taels of silver per catty for outsiders. For you... eight taels will do!" Zhang Xiong said in a low voice.

Uncle Zhou frowned upon hearing that, but said nothing.

Jiang Che was grateful at heart. He knew Zhang Xiong had given him a substantial discount.

So he took out eight taels of silver and handed them over.

"Thank you, Senior Brother Zhang. Uncle Zhou, I'll take my leave now!"

Jiang Che clasped his fists.

"Wait a moment." Zhang Xiong suddenly called out to Jiang Che.

He went to the storeroom in the rear courtyard, apparently searching for something.

Not long after, he returned carrying two small paper packets.

"This contains... the kind of medicine you wanted. The green powder is poison, and the white powder is the antidote. Don't mix them up. This stuff works on anyone below the Iron Skin Realm. It's excellent for self-defense." Zhang Xiong lowered his voice.

Jiang Che's eyes lit up. This was exactly what he needed!

"How much silver? It's just that I don't have much money left now..."

Jiang Che only had eight taels left, and he worried that it would not be enough.

"No need for money. It's a gift! This stuff actually costs very little. When we gather herbs, we collect some along the way to keep in reserve. We just don't normally sell it to outsiders."

"How can that be? You already gave me such a large discount on the exotic beast meat. I should still pay you!" Jiang Che insisted.

But Zhang Xiong refused no matter what he said.

Jiang Che could only accept it, and his understanding of Zhang Xiong deepened further.

Though he looked rough and seemed like a martial arts fanatic, he was actually thoughtful and treated his friends extremely well.

Jiang Che clasped his fists and said solemnly, "Then I won't stand on ceremony! I, Jiang Che, will remember Senior Brother Zhang's kindness today in my heart!"

With that, he carefully tucked the packets into the pocket inside his robes and left.

After Jiang Che had gone far away, Uncle Zhou sighed.

"Young Master, you're always bringing people to the apothecary, either selling things to them at cost or giving them something for free.

"But can those people really appreciate your kindness? Have you forgotten that kid surnamed Li? He claimed his family was seriously ill, and we practically gave him so much medicine for nothing. In the end, he did not have any family at all—he turned around and sold it at a high price!"

Zhang Xiong shook his head and said,

"Uncle Zhou, I believe that treating people with sincerity will eventually bring rewards. Besides, what I give away are merely trifling gains, and they have little effect on our apothecary.

"Our apothecary is doing fine now, but the city is becoming more and more chaotic. What if one day the apothecary fails and we fall on hard times?

"Even if only one out of a hundred people can lend us a hand at a crucial moment, I believe it will have been worth it!"

"But that kid's Qi-Blood is depleted, and he was sneakily buying poison..." Uncle Zhou hesitated.

"Uncle Zhou, did you know that my breakthrough into the Blood-Qi Realm some time ago was actually thanks to Jiang Che?" Zhang Xiong's expression was serious.

"Oh? Why is that?" Uncle Zhou asked doubtfully.

"In outsiders' eyes, Jiang Che's Qi-Blood is depleted, and he's nothing but a worthless cripple who would crumble at a single blow.

"At first, I thought so too...

"But when I truly exchanged blows with him, I discovered just how outrageously wrong I had been!"

Zhang Xiong suddenly clenched his fist, a flicker of shock flashing through his eyes.

"His attainments in fist techniques far exceeded my imagination! In his hands, that most basic introductory fist technique could actually be practiced to such a realm!

"Every move and every form of his was incomparably exquisite. Wasn't that precisely the martial path I pursued?

"Therefore, I believe he will certainly achieve something in the future!"

Having said that, Zhang Xiong gazed at Jiang Che's distant back, his eyes burning hot.